Schools all over the state are reacting to the Omicron surge. Some districts chose to close schools on some days or switch to remote learning.

A bill to require DNA samples from people charged with certain crimes, before they are convicted, ran into opposition Tuesday in the Legislature.

The latest COVID data shows a slight dip in Nebraska cases and hospitalizations, but that doesn’t mean Nebraska has seen its peak quite yet.

As of last Friday, the statewide 7-day average still stands at nearly 3,400 cases per day, according to the CDC. That’s down from a high of nearly 4,000 a day earlier.

The state’s dashboard shows that, over the weekend, hospitalizations dropped by 32, to just above 640. And, across the state, hospital capacity remains between 20 and 30% free.

Small towns far from big cities rely upon federal grants to help them, but numerous definitions of what the government considers rural make that complicated.

Millions of American consumers still rely on 3G devices and technology, and its phase-out is underway as 5G services expands across the country.

State Senator Mike Flood is challenging Congressman Jeff Fortenberry in the Republican First Congressional District primary.

Earlier this week the Nebraska State Patrol arrested an assistant warden accused of a sexual relationship with an inmate at the facility she supervised. The Department of Corrections faces a nagging problem with staff providing illegal contraband and having forbidden contact with prisoners. Recently Bill Kelly with Nebraska Public Media spoke with Director of Corrections Scott Frakes about the case and the challenges of preventing such incidents.

One of Nebraska’s largest school districts is cancelling in-person classes for the next three Fridays because of the rise of COVID-19 cases in the community.

Citing a rise in cases and stress on the local healthcare system, Lincoln-Lancaster Co. Health Director Pat Lopez announced the city would reinstate the directed health measure. Mayor Leiron Gaylor Baird says it’s a critical time during the pandemic.

The latest Omicron surge is creating a staff shortage in Nebraska schools. School districts are even desperate to find substitute teachers.